Cooper, Lane help Bonner and Prendergast rally past La Salle
SPRINGFIELD >> Bonner and Prendergast head basketball coach Jack Concannon said he wants his program to be as successful as La Salle’s.
After Friday night’s 56-52 win over the Explorers, the Friars might be there already.
The Friars overcame a halftme deficit, got great guard play from the tandem of Christian Lane and Tymir Cooper and caught La Salle shortly after halftme, then refused to yield the lead.
“I told Joe, before the game, we want our program to be where his is,” Concannon said after Lane’s 15 points and Cooper’s 13 fueled the comeback. “I admire his program, I think he’s the best coach in the Catholic League and I was happy with the way we competed.”
La Salle grabbed a 12-6 lead after one quarter, with all of the scoring coming via the 3-point shot.
The Explorers tried a different tact in the second period, with eight of their 13 points coming from the free-throw line and forged a 25-21 lead at the break.
The Friars, meanwhile, stayed close behind six second-period points from Tymir Cooper and seven from Dovan Rodriguez.
But the second half proved the Explorers’ undoing.
Lane had eight points and Cooper had five as the Friars not only took the lead, they dominated the game.
“I think what you saw was seven seniors (Bonner and Prendie) versus two seniors,” Dempsey said. “The ball stopped moving a little bit, and that’s my fault.”
La Salle hung close, primarily behind the three-point shooting of Matt Paulus (15 points on five three-pointers) , but the Friars had all the answers.
And the key was the guard play of Lane and Cooper.
“They feed off each other,” Concannon said. “They make each other better.”
La Salle made a late run, pulling within four points with final 2:00.
Bu the Friars held them off.
“We have to shoot better and I have to put us in better spots to get shots to go down,” Dempsey said. “They have real good guard play, and that’s what you need to win in the Catholic League.”
Bonner and Prendergast 56, La Salle 52
Bonner and Prendergast 6 15 19 16 – 56
La Salle 12 13 9 15 – 52
Bonner and Prendergast: Christian Lane 5 3-3 15; Tymir Cooper 4 5-5 13; Dylan Higgins 2 1-2 5; Ajiri Johnson 5 0-0 10; Justin Gans 1 2-2 4; Chris Haynes 1 0-0 2; Dovan Rodriguez 3 0-0 7; Stephen Perretta 0 0-0 0.. Totals 21 11-12 56.
La Salle: Jarred Stukes 3 2-3 8; ;Konrad Kiszka 3 2-3 11; Matt Paulus 5 0-0 15; Zach Crisler 2 5-6 10; Sean Simon 2 0-0 5; Allen Powell 0 1-2 1; Brett Werner 1 0-1 2; Matt McMahon 0 0-0 0; .. Totals 17 11-16 52
Three-pointers: Lane 2; Rodriguez; Paulus 5; Crisler; Simon.
